The three eldest Wonsal brothers were born in the Russian empire; a fourth was born during a stopover in Canada during their family’s migration to America. Taking the name Warner, the Wonsals eventually settled in Baltimore where, even as teenagers, the brothers dreamed of making movies. Reviewing a new book by David Thompson about the brothers and Warner Bros. studio, Linda Tucker writes:
[The] book reveals the brothers’ underlying reason for the movies they chose: their desire to leave behind the ways of the old country and become steeped in the American myth, transforming the way they and the rest of the country saw themselves. . . . The brothers’ first significant production was My Four Years in Germany, based on a sensationalist book, in 1918—[a film intended to support the U.S. effort in World War I].
The Jazz Singer, which came out in 1927, was the historic turning point for Warner Bros. It was about one character’s struggle to be both Jewish and American—a cantor’s son and a vaudeville entertainer. Al Jolson, the star, personified Jewish storytelling for a universal audience. Sam Warner was the one who pushed for the movie to have sound, and Jack signed Jolson. . . .
But the Warners were anxious for theirs not to seem like a Jewish business; they wanted to be American. Casablanca, released in 1942, did not emphasize the Jewish experience. It is also the most celebrated movie the Warners ever made—and one of the most cherished in Hollywood. [Thompson writes]: “A big element in the charm of Casablanca is that underlying air of comradeship, and of an international cast coming together at a moment when everyone was appreciating how the war was turning strangers into allies. [Humphrey] Bogart and Dooley Wilson were the only Americans with sizable roles.”
Read more on Moment: http://www.momentmag.com/book-review-warner-bros/